Former Florida rep found guilty of tax evasion, fraud

Former Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) was found guilty Thursday on 18 of 22 charges of tax evasion and wire and mail fraud.

Brown, who represented parts of north and central Florida until leaving office in January, had pleaded not guilty all charges. Prosecutors said she funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars from a charity group — One Door for Education Foundation — into her own account.

Out of the more than $800,000 donated to the group, only about $1,200 reportedly went to charitable causes. 

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The former lawmaker, who served 12 terms in Congress, had blamed her former chief of staff Elias “Ronnie” Simmons for taking the money. Simmons pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of theft of government property for stealing tens of thousands of dollars in congressional salary payments.

The verdict on Thursday ended 11 hours of jury deliberations after one of the panel members was removed on Wednesday and replaced by an alternate. The jury had heard closing arguments on Monday.

A date for Brown’s sentencing has not been set.